For 2021, 6 534 confirmed cases of STEC infection were reported by 30 EU/EEA countries (Table 1). Twenty-seven countries reported at least two confirmed cases, and three countries reported no cases. The EU/EEA notification rate was 2.2 cases per 100 000 population, representing a 37.5% increase compared with the previous year.
Hepatitis A cases in 2021 were at their lowest levels since EU-level hepatitis A surveillance began in 2007, while five other food and waterborne diseases are rising towards pre-pandemic levels. The information is revealed in the Annual Epidemiological Report 2021, of which six chapters are published today by ECDC.
This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring and surveillance activities carried out in 2021 in 27 MSs, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and nine non-MSs.
For 2019, 24 EU/EEA countries reported 1 049 confirmed cases of leptospirosis, the highest number in the period from 2015–2019, possibly because of environmental conditions favourable to hosts, and/or increase of activities at risk for infection.
For 2020, 28 EU/EEA countries reported 4 824 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin -producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection. The overall notification rate was 1.6 cases per 100 000 population. The highest notification rates were reported in Ireland, Malta, Denmark, and Norway. The EU/EEA notification rate decreased notably in 2020 compared with 2016-2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This report presents the results of the 10th round of the external quality assessment (EQA-10) scheme for typing of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).